MAC Bronze Body Oil

MAC To the Beach Collection — Bronze Body Oil Review, Photos, Swatches

To the Beach certainly gives one many options for faux sunkissed skin. New to MAC (and limited edition, of course) is To the Beach Bronze Body Oil. This is, essentially, a body oil that dries down quickly with lots of bronze and golden shimmer suspended in it. In the swatch, you’ll see how one pump comes out, but then you’ll see how it gets blended out. I didn’t find it really added color to my skin tone (the inside of my arm being around NC20), but it does add some nice shimmer. I also didn’t detect any scent to it – no chemical-smell, nor is it distinctly fragranced with vanilla or the like.

I think this is nice for legs, arms, and shoulders when you’re going out on the town for a night. The shimmer itself is very thin and smooth, not at all gritty (it’s not glitter, it’s definitely of the shimmer variety!). It’s subtle–indoors, in my office, I don’t really notice anything, but when I go outside, it’s lovely. I don’t think this is a must-have, period, but for those who love products like these, I think it’s a good one.  Drying time is fast, and there is no greasy residue or slickness left behind.

MAC Bronze Body Oil

MAC Bronze Body Oil

JOICO Skin Luxe Golden Shimmer Gradual Self-Tanner feels like a luxury product at a bargain price. For $15.95, this is a subtle self-tanner with a nice, golden sheen/shimmer that accents and highlights both your natural and faux glow (from the self-tanner). It smells of tropical coconuts, and it is even moisturizing on its own accord (probably because of the coconut oil and aloe vera).

The brand is actually a division of Shiseido, in case the connection gives you a better sense of familiarity and not, “What is this brand?” kind of a feeling. I personally prefer subtle self-tanners, more often than not opting for gradual ones, because I’m fairly tan on a regular basis. I also tan up really quickly once the sun starts shining (really, one day is all I need in the sun–despite high SPF–to come back tanned). Gradual self-tanners also work in my favor, because it means I can add a little glow, shimmer, and moisture instantaneously. I have had a thing for lightly shimmered lotions, just because I love the way they make my legs look in skirts. You can find a JOICO near you at www.joico.com.

Do you use self-tanners? Which ones do you like? Do you use them year-round or only in a particular season?

Olay Total Effects Touch of Sun Moisturizer ($18.99) is an anti-aging daily moisturizer with subtle self-tanning properties. This is good for those who just want to slightly brighten and tan the face, but do not want an actual self-tanner. I find gradual and subtle self-tanners to have a great effect on brightening up the skin, and they do not require nearly as much maintenance as regular self-tanners need. You should see a noticeable color difference within three applications, and after a week, you will get to the darkest you will get. Similarly, Olay Touch of Sun UV Defense Regenerating Lotion ($18.99) works like the moisturizer does, only this has SPF 15 in it.

Olay Touch of Sun Daily Body Lotion ($7.99) comes in light/medium and medium/dark, depending on how deep and dark you want your tan to be. For those who do not want to apply a regular self-tanner after a shower (which can take an hour or two from start to finish), try this moisturizer with just a touch of self-tanner that works while you sleep. Within two or three applications, you should notice that your skin tone has deepened slightly. From there, you can control how dark you want to be or how dark you want to stay. If you want to go darker, apply nightly. If you want to maintain your current color level, apply every other night or less.

DermaQuest DermaGlow Self Tanner – Face ($22.00) is a a self-tanner formulated with erythrulose, which is a natural-based keto-sugar that helps to give you that temporary bronzed look using a non-toxic chemical reaction with the skin. It also includes DHA, which is a color additive, that darkens the skin, and it is considered safe for most skin types. Color develops within fifteen minutes, and you can add additional layers to darken as you see fit. I like that you can layer this product, because it means you can take your time and find a good color match for you.

It is important that if you’re going to self-tan your body, you should be aware of the state of color (or lack thereof) on your face! For me, my face is always fairly tan, since it sees the sun even in the wintertime, while my legs and body may be covered up for several months out of the year. Self-tanning for face generally isn’t a must-do for me, but I know that we have plenty of fairer ladies that could use a handy self-tanner for face! You know what’s great, though? Many self-tanners smell fairly chemical, but not DermaGlow! There is a pleasing coconutty scent that reminds of you of summer and the beach.

Don’t forget DermaQuest DermaGlow Self Tanner — For Body!

XEN-TAN is all about bringing you that gorgeous, bronzy tan in sunless form. I tried three stellar products from the line, and as someone who started off knowing just about nothing about the art of the self-tan… these products made it incredibly easy and pretty much foolproof. I was totally showing off my bronzy sun-goddess stomach and thighs to my boyfriend within an hour!

Deep Bronze ($23.00) gives you an intense deep bronze tan, and it is supposed to last for a full seven days. Unlike some self-tanners, this smells delightful–it says vanilla, but I swear it was a little chocolate-y, too! You’ll notice your skin instantly start to darken, and like most self-tanners, the color will fully develop within three hours. It contains shea butter to help moisturize while applying (since moisturizing beforehand can often disrupt results).

Transform Gradual Self Tanner ($17.00) is Xen-Tan’s answer to helping maintain your newly developed self-tan over the week or so that it lasts. I personally use gradual self tanners on areas of my body that are naturally darker (e.g. arms since they’re more often exposed to the sun). I also use this on my feet and hands so I can control the darkness and make sure to avoid any orange palm illnesses. What is great about this gradual self tanner is you can use it to get your initial tan and then re-apply daily to maintain that one. No funky self-tanner scent either!

Face Tanner ($16.00) works well on face, neck, and decollatege. As I’ve mentioned in our self-tanning guides, it is important to know what tanning products to use on your face–namely, never use a body product on your face without at least diluting it. I prefer to minimize mistakes by opting for a tanner specifically for the face (which works for neck/upper chest area, too — all delicate areas).

Xen-Tan self-tanning products are generally paraben-free and contain shea butter, aloe, green tea antioxidants, and ginko biloba leaf extract. The brand also offers mousse and spray tanning options for those so inclined, as well as airbrush products. Head over to www.xen-tan.com or visit select Nordstrom’s to purchase.

Don’t forget our self-tanning guide: Part 1 – Preparation, Part 2 – Application, Part 3 – Maintaining

Looking for product recommendations? Expect several reviews of self-tanning options from sprays to creams to gradual to intense over the coming weeks!

Maintain It | So you spend all this time and energy on creating the perfect faux tan, but how are you going to keep it looking good? Unfortunately, self-tanning does not give you a tan that will last you months, but you may be able to get a good three days with a few additional days of decent tan if you make sure you take the proper steps.

Moisturize daily! Because self-tanners dye the first layer of skin cells, as they dry and flake off, so will your tan!

Exfoliate sparingly, and when you do, lightly! As mentioned earlier, the self-tanner only affects the top layer of the skin, so body scrubs and exfoliants will cause the tan to flake off faster. It is important to exfoliate every two or three days, though, because it will help the tan to “fade” naturally.

Avoid chlorine and excessive baths/showers, because these can strip the top layer of the skin and limit the effectiveness of your tan and its lasting power.

Gradual self-tanners work really well to help minimize the fading effect of tans, and I have found that they can extend the life of my tan by two to four days, depending on how well moisturize my skin is.

Expect your tan to last a week or less. Most people will find that they will need to re-do their self-tan within a week, and even if you happen to go outside of that, ten days is pushing it. When the time comes to re-do, make sure you go through all the steps of prepartion and application all over again!

Part 1 — Preparation, Part 2 — Application

Feel free to share your tips, horror stories, and advice for self-tanning!

Looking for product recommendations? Expect several reviews of self-tanning options from sprays to creams to gradual to intense over the coming weeks!

Applying Your Tan | After you’ve properly prepared you body to take on a self-tan, you’re eager to get to the tanning part, right? I want to preface this piece with the fact that I am new to self-tanning, I spent the past two weeks learning about self-tanners, application, etc., and for the most part, it’s really not as daunting as it may seem.

• Wash hands frequently and vigorously with soap. You don’t want dark orange palms, so you can avoid this by washing your hands multiple times during the application to minimize any orange palm effect.
• Make a mistake? Try toner, acetone, or hydrogen peroxide to help minimize or erase it.
• Slow and steady wins the race. It is much better to give yourself time to apply the self-tanner and let it dry appropriately rather than hope it will all come together in fifteen minutes.
• Dry land only for at least eight to twelve hours if you’re able to. Your self-tan should develop within three hours, but it may continue to darken for as long as twelve hours. Avoid sweating, exercising, bathing, etc., as all of these can lead to undesirable effects (streaking, fading, etc.).

1. Get everything you need together. Self-tanning will probably take you at least twenty minutes to apply from head to toe, plus additional drying time. I recommend the following products/items to gather: self-tanner of choice for body, self-tanner of choice for face, moisturizer (lightweight), hair tie, soap, back sponge, fingernail scrub brush, sink, dark towel/dark robe.

2. Extra dry skin? It is probably best for you to moisturize either as you go (diluting your self-tanner in the process) or applying a light amount to extra dry areas like ankles, toes, knees, elbows, etc. I would only recommend this for those who have really, really dry skin. It is better to dilute self-tanner with a moisturizer than applying moisturizer before the self-tanner.

3. Apply from bottom to top. You want to start applying your self-tanner to your feet and legs, being sure to apply sparingly on any dry parts (e.g. ankles) if you have them. If you’re using a lotion, be sure to squeeze it onto your fingers/palms, and then work it into your skin in circular motions. If you merely squeeze it onto your skin, you may end up with visible streaks from where it was squeezed! If you’re using a spray or aerosol tanner, make sure that you follow directions (usually says how far to hold it and not to exceed a certain distance).

4. Dry spots, joints, etc. may require diluted tanner. Judge your skin – if you have dry knees and luscious elbows or you’re like a sahara on both, know about it! You do a half-and-half combo with moisturizer with self-tanner or go a little heavier on the self-tanner, just depends on how dry you’re skin is. Nevertheless, go sparingly over these areas, because they tend to darken more heavily than other parts of the skin.

5. If you’re doing your entire body, some people want tan lines. If this is the case, make sure you’re wearing something that you can put the tanner right up against (e.g. a black bathing suit), as the tanner will stain light clothing. I personally hate tan lines, so self-tanning is totally up my alley and I just stand in the bathroom naked while applying. Back issues? If you can’t reach your back, try investing in a handled sponge to help you get those hard-to-reach areas.

6. Work your way up to your upper chest. Apply your self-tanner for body all over your body (arms, legs, etc.), but you may want to switch to a gradual tanner or your self-tanner for face. The neck tends to tan better and darker than the rest of your body (like the face). Otherwise, dilute your self-tanner with moisturizer when applying to the neck.
7. Switch to a self-tanner for face. I always recommend using a product targeted for the face to avoid getting an ultra dark or orange face. You can, of course, dilute your body self-tanner with moisturizer if you feel confident doing so. Make sure you apply your self-tanner up to your hair line and behind your ears (often missed spots).

8. Let it all hang out! Optimally, you’ve given yourself three hours of time before you need to get dressed. Realistically, you may only have an hour or two–don’t worry, you can probably get away with it. After you’ve done applying the self-tanner, let it dry for at least 15 minutes. If you’re able, walking around the house naked for awhile is a good move. Otherwise, slip on your dark robe or loosely tie a dark towel around your body and busy yourself for the next 45 minutes to an hour.

9. Your tan develops in 3 hours usually. This does mean that waiting three hours before putting on clothes is the best course of action, but waiting simply a half hour or so is usually enough. I like to put on some ratty, loose-fitting clothes after about 30-45 minutes. Even when I put regular clothes on, I opt for dark colors and nothing too tight.

10. Enjoy your new tan! You’ll want to check out part three of this guide, though, which will offer you some tips on making your sunless tan last longer and how to let it fade without looking like a molting bird.

Feel free to share your tips, horror stories, and advice for self-tanning!

First, this guide is not about tanning beds, booths, nor laying out in the sun. This is a guide to self-tanners, which are proven to be much safer and less harmful than the aforementioned areas not covered in this guide. If you must tan, please take all the precautions you can, including use some sort of sunscreen and go out during hours where the sun is not as strong. Now that we are finished with our PSA, let’s get on to SELF-TANNING!

Get Yourself Ready to Tan | It is important that you appropriate prepare your body to undergo the self-tanning process to maximize the desired results and increase the wear-time of the self-tanner. Most self-tanners only dye the first layer of skin, which means that as cell turnover occurs, your tan will slough off after 3-5 days, depending on the product and the care you take in maintaining your self-tan.

1. Exfoliate in advance. It is important to regularly exfoliate both your face and your body (which I’m sure is often forgotten). A good body scrub is great to rid your skin of dead skin cells and allow newer cells to come to the surface. Several days before you’re ready to begin your self-tanning, it is a good idea to exfoliate every other day (or so).

2. Moisturize, moisturize, and moisturize again. Make sure that you are regularly moisturizing all known dry or rough spots on your body–common areas are places like feet, toes, ankles, knees, elbows, etc. Rougher skin means less surface evenness, and this means the self-tanner may get darker in these areas (which is not always a pretty sight). If you make sure that you are taking the time to keep these bits and pieces their softest, you’ll run into less tanning issues later on!

3. Shave. The more even the skin surface is, the better the self-tanner will apply, adhere, and eventually dye. You will minimize streaks and unevenness in your tan if you shave beforehand. I would recommend shaving shortly before you actually apply the self-tanner!

4. Exfoliate right before you apply. However, unlike exfoliating in the days leading up to application, make sure that you opt for a body scrub that is oil-free–just something simple that has jojoba beads or some sort of exfoliant that won’t leave your legs particularly oily or greasy, because it will interfere with the self-tanner.

5. Plan on at least 20 minutes to apply. You need at least twenty minutes to apply self-tanner from head to toe, and it may be more for those who are not as comfortable with self-tanning. It is a good idea to give yourself an hour or two before you have to leave the house, as I definitely recommend sitting around in ratty clothes while the tan develops (which it should be hour three). Some regular self-tanners prefer to do the whole ritual before bed and then wake up golden.